In December 2018, a pivotal moment unfolded when BocaChicaGal shared the first images of what would become Starbase, the home of SpaceX’s Starship. This small area in a quiet Texas village was destined to become one of SpaceX’s most significant facilities. However, another crucial SpaceX site lies almost 400 miles away in McGregor, Texas. This facility has been instrumental in SpaceX’s journey to success. Let’s delve into the fascinating history of the McGregor testing facility.
The story of McGregor begins in 1940. As the United States entered World War II in 1941, there was a pressing need for bomb production. McGregor, Texas, was chosen as one of the sites for a large-scale bomb factory, known as the Bluebonnet Ordnance Plant. Within months, the factory was operational, producing various bombs, some weighing up to 1,000 kg. The town’s population surged from around 2,000 to over 5,000 due to the influx of workers and their families, mirroring the transformation seen in Boca Chica today.
After the war, the factory’s purpose shifted. It briefly produced furniture and kitchen stoves before establishing itself as a rocket facility in the 1950s. The site was acquired by the US Air Force and later owned by Rocketdyne, which tested and produced engines for the Apollo program. After a period under a munitions company, the facility was taken over by a private space company aiming to develop heavy-lift vehicles, although this wasn’t SpaceX.
Before we continue, let’s take a moment to discuss Masterworks, a platform that allows investors to access the high-end art market. This market has outperformed the S&P 500 over the last 25 years, especially during economic downturns. Masterworks analyzes data to identify valuable paintings, acquires them, and offers shares for investment. While there is a waiting list due to high demand, you can skip the line by clicking the link in the description.
In 1997, Beal Aerospace took over the McGregor site to test rocket engines. They successfully test-fired the BA-2 engine in 2000, but the company closed later that year when NASA chose not to invest in them. This left the McGregor facility vacant until SpaceX arrived in 2003.
SpaceX began testing their Merlin engine for the Falcon 9 rocket at McGregor. The facility expanded significantly, with the workforce growing from three to 140 by 2011. SpaceX’s next challenge was to make the Falcon 9 land, leading to the development of the Grasshopper rocket for vertical landing practice. The Grasshopper performed eight successful flights, paving the way for the Falcon 9’s evolution.
As Falcon 9 flights became more frequent, McGregor’s role in engine testing grew. The facility expanded from 256 acres to over 4,000, conducting an average of two engine tests daily. Each rocket required a full-duration test before flight, using a tripod stand built by Beal Aerospace. However, as the Falcon 9 became more powerful, a new test stand was needed to handle the increased force.
McGregor’s importance continued with the development of the Raptor engine for SpaceX’s Starship. The Raptor 2 engine, producing 230 tons of thrust, is tested extensively at McGregor. SpaceX’s approach involves pushing engines to their limits to understand their capabilities, a method reminiscent of NASA’s testing during the Apollo era.
With SpaceX’s goal of sending humans to Mars, McGregor’s role is more vital than ever. The site will soon host a new factory for mass-producing Raptor 2 engines, aiming to produce 800 to 1,000 engines annually. While the larger Raptor vacuum engines will be produced in California, McGregor remains a key player in SpaceX’s engine development and testing.
Despite not receiving as much attention as other SpaceX sites, McGregor has been a cornerstone of SpaceX’s success. From its origins as a bomb factory to its current role in rocket engine testing, McGregor continues to be a site of innovation and exploration.
If you enjoyed this article, consider supporting the channel by liking and subscribing. For ad-free early access to videos, consider becoming a Patreon member. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more exciting content!
Explore the historical evolution of the McGregor facility from its origins as a bomb factory to its current role in SpaceX’s rocket engine testing. Prepare a presentation that highlights key transitions and their impact on the local community and the aerospace industry. Use historical data and images to support your findings.
Analyze SpaceX’s approach to engine testing at McGregor, focusing on the development of the Merlin and Raptor engines. Discuss how these strategies compare to NASA’s testing methods during the Apollo era. Present your analysis in a written report, emphasizing the technological advancements and challenges faced.
Create an interactive digital timeline that traces the key events and milestones in the history of the McGregor facility. Include significant developments in SpaceX’s engine testing and production. Use multimedia elements such as videos, images, and audio clips to enhance the timeline’s engagement.
Participate in a debate on the future of space exploration and the strategic importance of facilities like McGregor. Discuss the implications of SpaceX’s plans to mass-produce Raptor 2 engines and their goal of sending humans to Mars. Prepare arguments for and against the expansion of such facilities.
Draft a proposal for a field trip to SpaceX’s McGregor facility. Outline the educational objectives, potential learning outcomes, and logistical considerations. Highlight how the visit could provide firsthand insights into the engine testing processes and SpaceX’s innovative practices.
This video is supported by Masterworks; more on them later.
In December 2018, BocaChicaGal first shared images of what would become Starbase, the home of Starship. Although it wasn’t known at the time, this small piece of land in a quiet village in Texas would go on to become one of SpaceX’s most important facilities. However, almost 400 miles away in another quiet Texan town lies a SpaceX facility that has played a crucial role in all of SpaceX’s successes. This is the story of the McGregor testing facility.
We’ll explore how this place got started back in 1940 and how SpaceX has used it to develop some of the most advanced technology in spaceflight. In 1941, the US joined World War II and needed a significant amount of bombs. The US selected various sites across the country to set up large-scale bomb factories, and McGregor, Texas was chosen as one of those sites, known as the Bluebonnet Ordnance Plant.
Within several months, a factory was established, and McGregor began producing various types of bombs, some weighing as much as 1,000 kg. McGregor’s population before the war was around 2,000, but this number skyrocketed with all the workers who moved there with their families, similar to how SpaceX is transforming Boca Chica and the surrounding areas. Bluebonnet continued producing bombs throughout the war and, at its peak, employed over 5,000 people.
Once the war ended, the factory was no longer needed, and production was shut down soon after. For a few years, parts of the factory remained open and began producing furniture and kitchen stoves. However, it was in the 1950s that McGregor would establish itself as a rocket facility. It was eventually acquired by the US Air Force and then owned by Rocketdyne, which tested and produced thousands of engines during the Apollo program.
After being handed back to a munitions company for about 20 years, the facility was finally taken over by a private space company looking to develop heavy-lift vehicles, but this company wasn’t SpaceX.
Before we continue, a quick note about Masterworks, who made this video possible! Technology has given us a lot of control over how we manage our finances. Innovations in financial services are expected to reach $332.5 billion by 2028. Consumers report that fintech platforms not only save them time but also help them make money. A community of early adopters has seen incredible gains, as this fintech platform has delivered over 30% returns for three consecutive years.
Masterworks enables investors to access the high-end art market, which has outperformed the S&P 500 over the last 25 years and shown even stronger performance during times of economic turmoil. Masterworks analyzes millions of data points to identify which paintings could rise in value, acquires the paintings, and breaks them into shares for you to invest in. With their impressive returns, it’s no surprise they are valued at a billion dollars, making them a startup unicorn like SpaceX.
As with any investment, there is capital risk involved. Demand is high, so there is currently a waiting list to get started. But if you click the link in the description, you can jump straight to the front of the line.
After 20 years, the McGregor facility was handed over to a new private space company looking to revolutionize space travel. Established in 1997, Beal Aerospace came before SpaceX and took over the McGregor site to act as a testing facility for their rocket engines. In 2000, they successfully test-fired their BA-2 engine, the largest rocket engine made since the Saturn V’s F-1 engines. However, later that year, the company closed down after NASA decided not to invest in them, leaving the McGregor facility empty once again.
Next in line was SpaceX, which took over the site just three years later to begin testing their Merlin engine for the Falcon 9 rocket. In the first several years of owning the facility, SpaceX massively expanded it—doubling the land space and growing the employee count from just three people to 140 by the end of 2011. By this point, SpaceX had already successfully flown the Falcon 9, but the next challenge was making it land.
SpaceX started laying down concrete for its first-ever launch and landing pad, planning to fly their Grasshopper rocket, a Falcon 9-style rocket used to practice vertical landings. In September 2012, the rocket was on the pad ready for its first flight. Years of work had led to this moment, and the future of the company depended on its success. The Grasshopper rocket went on to perform eight successful flights, each one flying higher than the last.
After scaring a few cows along the way, SpaceX then flew a larger rocket that resembled the Falcon 9 we know today, again performing multiple successful flights, with one being slightly less successful. By 2015, Falcon 9 flights were becoming more common, and with 10 engines on each rocket, McGregor was constantly testing new engines coming off the production line.
SpaceX expanded the facility from 256 acres to over 4,000 and was performing an average of two engine tests every day. At that time, Falcon 9s weren’t being reused yet, so every rocket that went into space was brand new. This meant they needed a test stand to fire the entire first stage before each flight. These tests were full duration, meaning the rocket was fully fueled and fired its engines for the complete length of the mission while being held down.
These tests were performed on the iconic tripod stand, built by Beal Aerospace in the 1990s. However, as the Falcon 9 developed, it became too powerful for this test stand, necessitating the construction of a new one to support the immense force. The McGregor facility continued to be crucial for the Falcon 9’s development.
Now, the Falcon 9 is one of the most reliable rockets in the world and one of the few that reuses its engines. To make them robust enough for multiple flights, SpaceX underwent years of engine testing and development, which continues to this day. One of the only ways to truly understand the limits of an engine is to push it until it fails. Thus, McGregor became not just an engine testing facility but also a place for engine failure analysis.
This method of engine testing is not new. Back in the Apollo days, NASA tested the enormous F-1 engine, which would eventually take humans to the Moon on the Saturn V rocket. Engineers faced issues with this engine due to combustion instability, where the two propellants in the thrust chamber burned unevenly, causing massive pressure swings that could tear the engine apart.
To test new parts designed to fix this problem, NASA exaggerated the conditions causing the instability by placing a bomb in the center of the injector plate and detonating it as soon as the engine fired. This dramatic test successfully proved that the engine could handle intense pressure swings. However, to identify these issues before human launches, NASA had to destroy many F-1 engines. This is precisely what SpaceX does at McGregor.
As SpaceX develops Starship and its Raptor engine, McGregor has never been more important. In recent years, we’ve seen the Raptor engine undergo several aesthetic changes. Raptor 2 now produces 230 tons of thrust compared to Raptor 1’s 180 tons. Additionally, Raptor 2 has halved manufacturing costs. With increasing engine production, multiple engines are tested at McGregor every day.
Thanks to cameras placed by NASASpaceflight, we can observe every time SpaceX conducts an engine test, including when things go wrong. Remarkably, when an engine does explode, it usually takes SpaceX only a few hours to resume testing. SpaceX has five test stands at McGregor specifically for Raptor testing. Two of these are horizontal test stands, which require less protection since the flame is diverted away from the engine and equipment.
The vertical test stands provide a more realistic test of how the engine will behave during launch. The final Raptor test stand is located on the renovated tripod stand, which was previously used for Falcon 9 first-stage testing. SpaceX upgraded this stand in 2019 to accommodate Raptor testing. Raptor testing occurs daily at the McGregor site, causing some disturbances for nearby residents.
Over the years, people living near the site have dealt with low rumbling sounds daily, with some claiming the noise has caused damage to their properties. SpaceX made an agreement with the city of McGregor to avoid engine tests after 11 PM. Additionally, if they conduct a test between 9 PM and 11 PM, they face escalating fines for each occurrence.
With SpaceX ramping up Raptor production in recent years, McGregor has become even more vital to SpaceX’s goal of sending humans to Mars. To mass-produce hundreds of Starships, SpaceX will need a vast number of engines. For the first time, McGregor will also serve as a manufacturing site for engines. SpaceX announced plans to build a new factory on the McGregor site specifically for mass-producing Raptor 2 engines, aiming to produce around 2 to 4 engines daily, totaling 800 to 1,000 per year.
The larger Raptor vacuum engines will continue to be produced in California, as fewer of them are needed for a fully stacked rocket. All experimental and development engines will also come from the California factory. While McGregor may not receive the same level of attention as Boca Chica or Florida, it has been SpaceX’s testing ground since day one, allowing for experimentation and development of rocket engines.
It seems fitting that after starting as an explosives factory, the McGregor site is once again producing more explosions than ever.
If you enjoyed this video, please leave a like and subscribe to the channel; it’s a great way to support our growth. If you want to go a step further, consider becoming a Patreon member, where you can watch each video before it goes on YouTube without any ads. Thank you for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video!
Space – The vast, seemingly infinite expanse that exists beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, where celestial bodies and cosmic phenomena occur. – The study of space involves understanding the physics of celestial bodies and the forces that govern their motion.
Rocket – A vehicle or device propelled by the expulsion of gases, used to transport payloads into space or for scientific research. – Engineers must carefully calculate the trajectory of a rocket to ensure it reaches its intended orbit.
Engine – A machine designed to convert energy into mechanical work, often used to power vehicles, including rockets and spacecraft. – The development of a more efficient rocket engine can significantly reduce the cost of space travel.
Testing – The process of evaluating the performance and reliability of a system or component under controlled conditions. – Rigorous testing of spacecraft components is essential to ensure their functionality in the harsh environment of space.
Development – The process of designing, creating, and refining a product or system, often involving research and innovation. – The development of new materials has enabled the construction of lighter and more durable spacecraft.
Thrust – The force exerted by a rocket or engine to propel a vehicle forward, overcoming gravitational and atmospheric resistance. – Calculating the required thrust is crucial for determining the fuel needs of a space mission.
Facility – A location equipped with the necessary infrastructure and equipment for conducting research, testing, or production activities. – The aerospace facility is equipped with state-of-the-art wind tunnels for testing aircraft designs.
Production – The process of manufacturing or creating goods, often involving the assembly of components into a final product. – The production of spacecraft requires precision engineering and adherence to strict quality standards.
Aerospace – The branch of technology and industry concerned with both aviation and space flight. – Aerospace engineering encompasses the design and development of aircraft and spacecraft.
Innovation – The introduction of new ideas, methods, or products that improve efficiency, performance, or capabilities. – Innovation in propulsion technology has the potential to revolutionize space exploration.
